Bronx Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook is Obama's ambassador for religious freedom
A pastor with Harlem and Bronx roots who calmed religious tensions after 9/11 was sworn in yesterday as President Obama's ambassador for religious freedom.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), pushed Johnson Cook's appointment after a lone Republican senator with Tea Party support stalled what should have been a shoo-in nomination in the Democratically controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year.
"Dr. Cook has the qualities and experience to be a successful ambassador-at-large," Gillibrand noted in her letter pressing for Johnson Cook's nomination to get a second chance. "And [she] has the trust and confidence of both President Obama and Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton."
Johnson Cook said passion for learning about other religions and cultures came from her mother, a teacher at Public School 194 in the Bronx, who teamed up with Jewish teachers to improve education.
Her global interests were cemented by studying abroad in Spain and taking part in community-building projects in West Africa.
For Johnson Cook, any delay in her appointment didn't dampen her enthusiasm for the work ahead - promoting religious freedom and monitoring religious persecution.
"This is a chance to build connections that can increase understanding and can help bring peace," she said. "I am honored, and think this is a time when we can open doors."
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